


Lift Up Your Head

by Pippinpaddleopsicopolis (Barnable)



Series: Whenever I'm Around You [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: ATLA WLW Week 2020, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Day Five: Love Languages | Pining, F/F, Falling In Love, First Kiss, Forbidden Love, Love at First Sight, Mutual Pining, Northern Water Tribe, POV Katara (Avatar), Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2020-09-24
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,118
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26620876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barnable/pseuds/Pippinpaddleopsicopolis
Summary: During a visit to the Northern Water Tribe, Katara falls in love with an amazing woman who just so happens to be their princess.
Relationships: Katara/Yue (Avatar)
Series: Whenever I'm Around You [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1931983
Comments: 6
Kudos: 51
Collections: AtLA WLW week 2020





	Lift Up Your Head

Katara was smitten from the moment they first locked eyes across the table.

There was something about Princess Yue that was just captivating. From her long black hair to her shining pink smile, there was no part of her that didn’t leave Katara wishing she could know her better. When they first met, all Katara knew was that Yue was the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe, and one of the people she and her family would have to meet with for the arrangements. She never thought she would be so beautiful.

On that first evening, at the dinner where they met, Katara only got to say a few words to the princess, and they weren’t remarkably interesting. They were meant to be quiet for most of the time, though Katara’s brother cracked enough jokes to annoy everyone. Except for Yue. She only smiled and laughed when the adults asked Sokka to hold his tongue, her gaze meeting Katara’s for the shortest, most amazing moment.

“Sorry about my brother,” she’d said, after stepping out of the dining room. “He thinks he’s a lot funnier than he is.”

“It’s okay, I thought he was adorable.” Yue’s words left a pang of fear in her chest. Obviously, the princess would never pick Katara over her brother. “I’m glad you two are Chief Hakoda’s children. I was afraid you would be someone horribly boring.”

“I felt the same way about you.”

Katara wanted to ask Yue to do something with her, to spend time together so they could learn more about each other, but she didn’t get the chance before Arnook appeared out of nowhere and whisked Yue away. Suddenly, Katara was left alone; watching in silence as the girl of her dreams vanished into a building with only one last look over her shoulder.

They barely got to speak to each other the next day, or even the day after that. Given that they’d only come to the Northern Water Tribe for political reasons, Katara found herself caught in meeting after meeting, unable to speak a word that wasn’t about the affairs. She managed to catch Yue’s eye a few times, but they only ever smiled to each other before returning to fight for what was right.

It was on the fourth day of their week at the Northern Water Tribe when Sokka caught on to what was happening. He might have been an idiot sometimes, but he was clever and observant as anything. Sokka pulled her aside one night, after everyone else had gone to bed, and flat out asked about her and Yue. Not if anything was happening, exactly, but Katara knew what he meant.

“So, Yue’s pretty, huh?”

Technically, there was a chance he was saying it because _he_ was attracted to Yue, and even with the conclusion Katara was drawn to, that wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibilities. But his words held a particular tone, a way of speaking which instantly told her that he wasn’t asking for himself, he was asking because he saw the way Katara was looking at her.

“Yeah, I guess,” was what she said back to him, doing her best to act nonchalant.

But her brother wasn’t stupid. “I don’t want to make any assumptions, but at the banquet last night, I kind of got the vibe that she was into you.”

Right at that moment, Katara’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t let the possibility enter her mind until he said it, until he spoke the truth she so desperately wanted to hear. Katara only smiled, turning away from him as she reached out for her hairbrush. Even if she did like Princess Yue, she didn’t have to tell him that.

“Really?” she said, a smirk on her lips as she dragged the brush through her nearly perfect locks. “I didn’t notice.”

“She was smiling at you the whole evening.” Sokka’s tone was unreadable, each one of his words spoken with careful precision and gentle prodding. “And you know what? I think I saw you smiling at her a lot too. You sure you didn’t notice that at all? Nothing happening there?”

“No. I think I would’ve noticed if I was flirting, Sokka.”

Katara chose to leave it at that, fearing the charm and the magic may wear off should she let the truth leave her lips. It wasn’t like she needed to say the words anyway; the look on Sokka’s face said everything, his little smirk telling her all she needed to know. He must’ve understood why she wouldn’t give him a straight answer too, because he only chuckled when he left to return to his own bed.

Throughout the fifth and sixth days of their trip, Katara let her gaze and her crush drift a little more. She talked to Yue whenever she could, opting to be bold with her flirting for once. She wasn’t great at it, but she believed her passion and affection came out with every word, as Yue continued to laugh and smile with almost everything she said. It was the most amazing sound she’d ever heard and the most beautiful sight she’d ever seen.

By their last day in the Northern Water Tribe, the majority of the affairs had been dealt with and the adults were simply closing the deals. That meant Katara would finally, _finally_ have a chance to get Yue on her own. Her brother did most of the talking and the work of setting them up, and though his opening line of, “you two should do an activity together”, wasn’t the best, it worked. It worked so well and before she knew it, Katara was taking a stroll with the gorgeous princess at her side.

Neither of them spoke for a little too long, and given that she couldn’t ask, Katara was left only to wonder whether Yue was quiet for the same reason as her. This would be their last night together for who knows how long, and whatever they said would be the last thing they remembered. Katara took a deep breath, her heart pounding in her chest as she glanced over to Yue, her gaze shifting back to the snow when she spoke.

“Thank you for being so nice to me this whole week,” she started, unable to keep the smile from her lips. “I know I can be a little loudmouthed sometimes and it really means a lot that you stood up for me.”

“Of course, I stood up for you, Katara.” Her heart beat a little faster. Was Yue saying what she thought? No, it couldn’t be. “The Southern Water Tribe has such incredible practices of equality, and the fact that the Northern Water Tribe still values male benders over female benders is honestly embarrassing. I really do wish there was something I could do about it.”

“But there is. You’re amazing, Yue, and if you just let yourself embrace that and everything you want to be, you could— sorry, I started getting a little carried away there.”

“No, it’s okay. You’re so kind to me, thank you. My whole life so far has been about being the perfect princess and I’ve never really stopped to think about what I want until you came along. Until I saw you fighting against those men for what’s right. Honestly, you _destroyed_ Master Pakku the other day.”

“What other choice did I have?” asked Katara, unable to keep the laughter from her tone, “he said I shouldn’t use my bending for anything but to heal!”

“I know, it was absolutely outlandish.” Yue shook her head, a smile sliding up her own lips as they broke the conversation to remember the encounter. Katara had to admit, she kicked some serious old, misogynistic ass that day. If nothing else, the people of the Northern Water Tribe would be talking about it for weeks to come. “You know, I think you’re one of the most amazing women I’ve ever met.”

She glanced down to her feet, the snow crunching beneath her boots with each step. “Thank you. I could say the same right back.”

“No, I really don’t deserve it. There’s something we haven’t told you, Katara. I would love to be an independent woman like you are, but I have to put my tribe first and the thing is… if all goes to plan, I’m meant to be getting engaged next month.”

Katara’s heart dropped into her stomach, her heart racing faster as the words rang in her ears. It was already such a long shot that Yue could even like her, that they could even entertain the idea of a relationship with their lives and commitments, but it hurt. She swallowed hard, nodding slowly to acknowledge that she’d registered the information, she just hadn’t fully processed it yet.

“Who is it?” asked Katara quietly. She didn’t want to sound upset or jealous, choosing her words carefully to let Yue know she had her full support.

“It doesn’t matter,” she answered. Yue stared down at her hands, her thumbs twiddling together beneath her gloves. She let out a breath, hesitating before she went on with her response. “I don’t want to marry him. I never have wanted to marry, but it’s what’s best for the tribe, and I have to think about my people.”

“You have to think about yourself too. If you don’t want to marry him, you shouldn’t have to. Haven’t you been listening to me this week? The Northern Water Tribe is a great place, but you have so many _ridiculous_ traditions and you shouldn’t have to follow them. You might be a princess, but you’re a girl too. Yes, your people are important. Just… please stop and remember what _you_ want. At least for one night.”

“What _I_ want? I don’t even really know what I want. Well, I guess there’s one thing that I want but… I don’t think it could ever work.”

“What do you mean?” Katara had a feeling she knew exactly what Yue meant, and the feeling of hope in her chest only grew when the woman didn’t response; only shrugging and continuing her stride down the path. “Yue, you can talk to me. I won’t tell anyone else, so you don’t have to worry about me sharing your secrets with everyone, okay? I—”

Yue stopped her suddenly, reaching out for one of Katara’s hands and spinning around to face her. Instantly, Katara froze in her tracks, her tongue gliding over her lips before stopping to bite down on the bottom. She stared right into Yue’s light brown eyes, their gazes locking as they lost themselves in the moment. The moon was shining overhead, the snow sparkling around her feet, and before she knew what was happening, Katara went for it.

She and Yue moved at the same time, opposite feet stepping forward before their hands gripped together and their lips finally touched. Yue was every bit as sweet as Katara thought she would be, her skin soft and her movements ever so gentle. Their fingers laced together near their waists, small smiles sliding up their lips as they embraced every second of the moment they had.

It couldn’t last forever, and they had to pull away, but not before everything was said. They didn’t have to use words to say what they meant, to express every bit of the special feelings they’d developed over the last week. Even once their lips slid apart, Katara held her grip around Yue’s fingers, not wanting to lose the last ties to the moment she had left. She clung to the silence before she let it crack.

“Don’t marry him,” said Katara, her voice soft but stern. “Not because of me, but for you. Don’t do this just because the people want it, do what _you_ want. You don’t need a man to make the right decisions for your tribe, Yue. You can do anything you want, and you can do it by yourself.”

“But I don’t want to do it by myself.” Yue squeezed her hand a little tighter, her eyes widening hopefully. “I’m going to write to you once you leave, and I sincerely hope you’ll write back. I don’t know when we’ll be able to see each other again but I don’t want to lose touch. You’re amazing, Katara, and I mean that with my whole heart.”

“I mean it too.”

She smiled as she met Yue’s gaze, her fingers gripping as firmly and gently as she could. Katara didn’t know when she would be able to see Yue again, but she did know one thing. When that day came, they would change the world. One woman at a time.


End file.
